


Shut up and trust me

by swizzlesticks



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Brainwashing, Lance thinks he knows how emotions worked once but he's forgotten, and Keith never knew, klance, major character death mentioned - Shiro, meanwhile they're all supposed to be saving the galaxy, so this is sort of new territory for both of them, torture mention
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-07 00:15:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12829194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swizzlesticks/pseuds/swizzlesticks
Summary: Shiro's dead, Coran's missing, and Lance has been a captive of the Galra for a month and a half. Keith never wanted to be a leader, certainly not under these circumstances. But the universe is at stake: Lance won't let him quit, and Keith won't let Lance quit, and honestly none of them were prepared to be the leaders in a war effort, but at least they've got each other.





	Shut up and trust me

Lance curls on his side, every part of him sore. The cold metal of the bottom of his cell makes matters worse; he’s taken to imagining the feel of sunlight on his face just for a break from the unrelenting chill. The Galra wouldn’t let him die of something as dumb as hypothermia, but he hasn’t been warm since he was captured, and it’s been, what, weeks? Months? Time’s hard to keep track of in space, and even harder in a cell. All he knows is that the horror that landed him here feels like it happened ages ago.

Shiro being a sleeper agent had honestly never even occurred to Lance. Maybe it should have, especially after what they learned Haggar had done to one of Lotor’s generals, taken over her mind and made her into an unwilling spy. But it was too late for should haves, because Shiro had turned on them, the whole universe had seen Voltron split apart, and had seen Zarkon kill Shiro. The Castle had been destroyed, maybe Coran with it, and it was all Lance could do to keep the Galra off the other’s backs while they split up. It seemed like the best chance for them all to get away, Red being so much faster than most Galra ships. Lance hadn’t intended to go head-to-head with Zarkon, red lion against black. He hadn’t meant to get captured, either, or tortured for information by Haggar. He certainly hadn’t meant to actually give her anything. But he’d been doing a lot of things he hadn’t meant to recently.

He lets his head rest on the floor, wincing as a deep hurt in his back twinges. He feels stupid. And numb. And cold. Maybe if he was smart like Pidge or Hunk, he could think of a way out of this. Maybe if he was strong and driven like Allura or Keith, he wouldn’t have told Haggar anything. But what can he do, shoot a gun pretty well, sometimes? He doesn’t even have one. And now Zarkon has the black and red lions. And who knows, maybe he’s got the rest of the lions and the paladins, too. Haggar doesn’t tell him much. She just pushes and pushes and pushes…

Lance shudders, remembering her last questioning. It had only been maybe an hour ago, and his head still feels raw and empty, like she scrubbed out the inside of his skull with steel wool. He remembers babbling to her about summertime—he’s found that if he talks she eases off a bit, even if he’s not telling her what she wants to hear about. He remembers speaking rapidly, trying to describe the way coconut body lotion smells, and how the smell of coconut always makes him think of the beach, chasing his cousins around and trying to get them to put on sun-tan lotion. His snark abandoned him long ago in these questionings, and now he just runs with whatever subject he lands on, trying to talk about anything but Voltron, or the other paladins, and certainly not about the Blade of Marmora, or Keith, or the coalition, but somehow she’d got him talking about them anyway. She always does, and yet he still tries to deflect.

He remembers complaining to her about Keith’s haircut, but more about his recklessness, and how the last thing Lance needs is to constantly worry, and how Keith would be a good leader if he’d stop acting like an idiot. He’d told her all about how Hunk and Pidge are always going off together to work on mechanical problems, how the two of them were probably the smartest people at the garrison, ever, and how they’d all looked up to Shiro. He remembers cursing at her for what she’d done to Shiro. He remembers starting to yell when he remembered watching the castle explode.

He doesn’t remember anything after that. If he’d kept talking, or if she’d gotten angry at him and hurt him until he’d fallen unconscious, he doesn’t know. He remembers waking up here, and wondering how much longer this will go on. He’s not Shiro, he can’t survive being captive much longer. And they won’t need him much longer either. The smallest possible smile touches Lance’s lips, he can feel it when a chapped crack opens. He can’t help but be glad that if they were going to catch one of the paladins, it’s him. Shitty luck for the Galra: Lance doesn’t know anything. He’s the one the team can do without— he already knows he’s replaceable, Allura’s doing better with Blue than he ever had, and Red only took him on because Keith needed to pilot the Black lion. Voltron can survive without him easiest, he’s always been the spare. He doesn’t really contribute anything to the team that they need, and all he can give Haggar, even once she forces him to talk, are character profiles for the others. He doesn’t know any of the tech mumbo-jumbo, and he hasn’t been working on secret spy missions like Keith. 

Lance’s eyes open at that thought. He’s been trying not to think about Keith. Judging from how he was when Shiro first disappeared, he’s probably throwing himself into every possible dangerous mission he can, and if he isn’t already dead it’ll be a miracle. Lance had talked to Allura about the Blade of Marmora. They don’t have Keith’s safety anywhere on their priority list, and that alone had rubbed Lance the wrong way. They’d practically killed Keith when they first met him, and Lance is willing to bet they’ll just be taking advantage of his desperation now. Without his lion, without Voltron, without Shiro, Lance isn’t sure there’ll be anything holding Keith back from his tendency for willing self-sacrifice. And even though Lance can’t see or talk to Keith, and might not ever get to again, the simple idea that the boy might not be out there anymore makes the universe feel bleak and flat, and pointless. It makes Lance feel like maybe they’ve done more damage than good, and that everything they tried to do was just one big mistake. He at least has faith that the other paladins might be able to keep themselves alive. 

Not that he’s one to talk.

He closes his eyes again. This is all just the same things he thought about yesterday, and the day before. He might even have dreamed his session of questioning with Haggar earlier. Is it still yesterday? Does his head hurt from questioning then, or now? Is it now, or is it then? It really doesn’t matter. He imagines the sun on his face once more, and has almost convinced himself he can feel warmth when an alarm in the distance starts blaring.

Something useful Lance has learned since being captured: alarms in Galra ships go off with some degree of frequency, and it has never once had to do with him. The first few times it happened, Lance had freaked out. But now he just puts an arm over his head to mute the sound, and tries to remember the sensation of sunlight.

“Lance? LANCE.”

Lance flinches, partly in surprise, as someone grabs his arm. He hadn’t heard the door opening, but he recognizes the person’s voice, and lets them roll him over onto his back.

“Keith?” Lance winces at the sound of his own voice. The only person he’s spoken to since he’d been captured has been Haggar, and she seems to prefer him sounding like hell. If this really is Keith though—he doesn’t get to finish the thought, because the person pulls him up into their arms, holding him gently. 

No way is this Keith. Because Keith wouldn’t do this—if Keith came to get him he wouldn’t stop to check on how he’s doing before they moved, and Keith is a lot of things, but gentle isn’t generally one of them, and…

The figure reaches up and presses a button Lance can’t see, deactivating the mask hiding their face.

“It’s me, buddy.”

It is Keith. And he looks worried. He also looks like he’s recently been in a fight, and maybe not sleeping, but Lance drinks in the sight of his face as Keith looks down at him. 

They’re probably both about to die, if this base is anywhere near as big as Lance has come to suspect it is. But this is strangely the safest he’s felt since Shiro died.

“Lance? Talk to me.” The worry on Keith’s face is only growing, and Lance realizes he should say something.

“You found me.” It’s all Lance can think to say, and Keith’s face immediately softens.

“Of course I did.” He picks Lance up, not even asking if Lance can stand, and Lance wonders if it’s that obvious that he can’t. “We’re getting you out of here.”

They move into the hallway, and Lance can hear explosions somewhere in the base. Something immediately occurs to him once they begin to move, and he feels a bolt of fear in his stomach.

“Keith, Haggar is here.” 

He couldn’t have not told him. Not now that Haggar is the reason Shiro’s dead, the reason for all of this. And considering Keith’s behavior regarding Lotor when they were still after him, Lance half-expects the boy to immediately drop everything and try to find the witch. But all Keith does is tighten his grip on Lance and speed up.

“You’ve seen her?” Keith definitely sounds tense, but not like he’s about to run off.

“You could say that.” Lance can’t even try to make that a joke, and Keith seems to understand what he means, because his lips tighten and he doesn’t say anything else for a bit as they move. He’s also keeping his mask off, which Lance is sure he isn’t supposed to—after all what’s the point of having a mask if you don’t wear it on missions—but maybe Lance’s relief at seeing the boy’s face had been a little too obvious. In any case, Lance appreciates it. Things are moving so fast, it’s nice to have a familiar anchor, and although Keith’s new uniform isn’t exactly comfortable to be smooshed up against, it feels nice to be this close to someone he trusts, after so long of…not. He knows that maybe he should wait to ask questions, but he can’t help himself. “Keith, where’s everyone else? Coran, Hunk, Pidge, Allura…”

Keith hesitates, just for a second, but it’s enough to make Lance’s stomach bottom out. Maybe noticing, the boy hurries to explain. “Pidge and Hunk are ok. Allura is looking for Coran… she thinks he might have managed to escape the castle.”

“Do you?” The paladins are Lance’s family in space, but Coran reminds him most of his family on Earth. He can’t let himself hope that the Altean is alive unless there’s some reason to hope.

Keith looks away. “…I don’t know. Allura knows the castle better than any of us, and she’s known Coran longest.”

“Keith.” Lance just wants a straight answer, and Keith sighs.

“I don’t know.” He looks around a corner in the hallway, and it must be clear, because he keeps going. “Look, we’ll talk about this later, ok?”

“What?” Something about the way Keith says that makes Lance uneasy. “Where are you going?”

“We have to get the lions out.”

Lance’s heart sinks. Right, this is part of a larger mission. He can’t even manage to put his game face on, and he doesn’t know what to say, but Keith looks down at him and gives him a reassuring smile.

“Everything’s going to be ok. Pidge and Hunk are working on a distraction so I can get to the black lion.”

“The black…? What about Red?” 

Keith looks down at him, and Lance wonders if he’s imagining the fondness in the boy’s look. “You’ve gotta pilot Red out of here. I’ll catch up with you, just keep away from the Galra.”

“Oh, easy.” Lance almost manages to grumble it, but worry churns in his stomach. He doesn’t point out that he can’t so much as walk. Keith doesn’t answer him anyway, and when Lance looks up he sees why. The red lion stands over both of them, and when they approach it, it opens its mouth to let them in. There isn’t really time for debate; Keith carries him up into the lion, and settles him into the pilot seat as gently as he can. Still, Lance tries. “Keith, I can’t.”

“What do you mean?” Keith sounds genuinely confused. “You have to. Lance, we need you. We can’t save Voltron without you, you need to get Red out of here.”

There are many things Lance wants to say back to him, but he ends up not saying any of them, and just nods instead. He’s surprised when Keith moves awkwardly in front of him, slipping a hand around the back of Lance’s neck and pressing their foreheads gently together. 

“We’ll see you soon.” Keith offers Lance that small smile Lance hasn’t seen him give anyone else. “Fly away from the Galra, and we’ll find you.”

Lance can’t help but smile back, and Keith holds him close again for a second before slipping away. Lance can hear Red’s mouth close after Keith leaves, and watches Keith’s small form, masked again, race away down the hallway.

Lance hasn’t run away before. Retreated, yes, but always in a group. Run towards, yes. Run away, no. He’s not even sure Red will respond to him until the controls fire up under his hands, and the lion practically darts out of the Galra station. Lance still isn’t used to her speed.

Some part of him thinks that this was too easy, by a lot. The idea that the Galra wouldn’t have sentries watching the Voltron lions is ludicrous, but it’s true that Pidge and Hunk are here, and Lance doesn’t know the plan. Maybe they took out the sentries in this hallway to give Keith and Lance a clear path. Or maybe…

Lance doesn’t want to think. Thinking is hard, and it hurts his head. But if they’re going to guard a lion, it won’t be the red, it will be the black: Zarkon, Shiro, and now Keith’s lion. And Keith’s headed that way, seemingly alone.

Lance curses, very quietly. He’s so, so tired. But he steers Red back towards the base, ignoring the Galra fighters shooting at him; Red is (perhaps taking pity on him,) doing a fairly good job of dodging the shots on her own. 

Lance can’t fly away without knowing the others are safe.


End file.
